Topical Bible: The Law of God: Love is the Fulfilling of

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The concept that love is the fulfillment of the Law is a central theme in Christian theology, deeply rooted in both the Old and New Testaments. This principle underscores the belief that the commandments given by God are ultimately realized through the practice of love.

Old Testament Foundations

The foundation for understanding love as the fulfillment of the Law begins in the Old Testament. The Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, commands, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This commandment emphasizes the total devotion and love for God as the primary duty of the faithful.

Leviticus 19:18 further extends this principle to interpersonal relationships: "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." Here, love for one's neighbor is presented as a divine command, integral to the moral and ethical life of the community.

New Testament Revelation

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ reaffirms and expands upon these Old Testament teachings. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus responds in Matthew 22:37-40: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments." Jesus encapsulates the essence of the Law in these two commandments, highlighting love as the core of divine instruction.

The Apostle Paul further elucidates this concept in his epistles. In Romans 13:8-10, Paul writes, "Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law. The commandments ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law." Paul emphasizes that love inherently upholds the commandments, as it seeks the good of others and refrains from harm.

Similarly, in Galatians 5:14, Paul states, "The entire Law is fulfilled in a single decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" This reiteration underscores the belief that love is not merely an aspect of the Law but its very essence and completion.

Theological Implications

The understanding that love fulfills the Law has profound theological implications. It suggests that the moral and ethical demands of the Law are not merely legalistic requirements but are relational and rooted in the character of God, who is love (1 John 4:8). This perspective shifts the focus from mere rule-following to cultivating a heart and life that reflect God's love.

Moreover, this principle calls believers to a higher standard of conduct, one that transcends legalism and embraces the transformative power of love. It challenges Christians to embody the love of Christ in their interactions with others, thereby fulfilling the Law through genuine, selfless love.

Practical Application

In practical terms, the fulfillment of the Law through love calls for an active, intentional commitment to love God and others. This involves not only refraining from harm but also seeking the welfare and flourishing of others. It requires believers to engage in acts of kindness, compassion, and justice, reflecting the love of God in tangible ways.

The call to love as the fulfillment of the Law also serves as a guiding principle for ethical decision-making, encouraging believers to evaluate their actions and attitudes in light of love's demands. It invites Christians to consider how their lives can be a testament to the love of God, fulfilling the Law not through obligation but through the joy and freedom found in loving God and neighbor.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 13:8,10
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

James 2:10
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Article iii: of Love and the Fulfilling of the Law.
... have above stated: [Why does love not justify anybody before God?] The adversaries
are right in thinking that love is the fulfilling of the Law, and obedience ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 6 article iii of.htm

Love Worketh no Ill to his Neighbor; Therefore Love is the ...
... as thyself, is the sum total of all the law and the prophets, or implies and includes
all that the whole scriptures, the law and the ... 2. God is love, and to ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/love worketh no ill to.htm

Fulfilling of the Law in the Higher Sense. --Particular Examples ...
... the law implied "hatred" of the enemies of that community as enemies of the kingdom
of God. The law of Christ, on the contrary, enjoins love without limit ...
/.../section 155 fulfilling of the.htm

It Clearly Appears that There was but one Author of Both the Old ...
... the perfect Father, so as not to make use of that which had been given by the God
of the law. And Paul in like manner declares, "Love is the fulfilling of the ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xii it clearly appears that.htm

The Spirit of the Law
... When Paul proclaimed that 'love is the fulfilling of the law,' he was ... His ways,'
or 'to obey His voice,' after 'to love Jehovah thy God.' Obedience is ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the spirit of the law.htm

How Powerful the Love of God Is
... itself and the beloved object, which is God, but presses ... and the soul's perfection,
containing all the law and the ... is why Paul says to the Romans, Love is the ...
/.../albert/on cleaving to god/chapter 12 how powerful the.htm

God Enjoins no Impossibility, Because all Things are Possible and ...
... enjoined on Israel, by returning to the Lord his God with all his ... and "He that loveth
his neighbour hath fulfilled the law;" [1354] and again, "Love is the ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 83 lxix god enjoins no.htm

The Handwriting Blotted Out
... If the love of God is shed abroad in your heart, you will be able to fulfil the
law. Paul reduced the commandments to one: "Love is the fulfilling of the law ...
/.../moody/weighed and wanting/the handwriting blotted out.htm

If Then the Prophets Prophesied that the Son of God was to Appear ...
... Love is the fulfilling of the law: for he who loves God has fulfilled the law. Moreover
the Lord, when He was asked which is the first commandment, said: ...
/.../the demonstration of the apostolic preaching/chapter 86 if then the.htm

The Greatest Thing in the World
... And John goes farther, "God is love." And you remember the profound remark which
Paul makes elsewhere, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Did you ever think ...
/.../the greatest thing in the.htm